Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation of 23 developmental projects in Haldwani, Uttarakhand.
Ahead of the assembly elections in Uttarakhand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid foundation stones and inaugurated projects worth over Rs 17,500 crore in Haldwani city of the Kumaon region in Uttarakhand. This is Prime Minister Modi's second visit to the state this month. On his last visit to Uttarakhand on December 4, Modi had unveiled projects worth over Rs 18,000 crore in Dehradun.
The inaugurated projects include three different stretches of the Chardham all-weather road which have been widened, Nagina-Kashipur National Highway, Suring Gad hydel project and sewage works under the Namami Gange programme at Nainital.
Schemes worth Rs 2,000 crore were brought in Uttarakhand's Haldwani with an aim of improving the connectivity in the area, PM Modi said. “...We will make this a decade of Uttarakhand,” PM Modi said, adding that, “These inaugurated development projects will give better connectivity and better health to the people of Haldwani.”
Also, the Lakhwar multi-purpose hydro-electricity project worth Rs 5,747 crore, an AIIMS satellite center for Kumaon worth Rs 500 crore, Moradabad-Kashipur four-lane road, improved road connectivity with Nepal and an Aroma Park in Kashipur are among the key projects whose foundation was laid by PM Modi.
He further said, “Lack of toilets and poor infrastructure has affected women. Women from 13 districts in Uttarakhand will be benefited from welfare programmes.
Taking a dig at the Opposition, PM Modi said, “Now that the public knows their (Opposition) truth, these people have started a new business of rumours, by manufacturing, spreading, and then screaming about it. These Uttarakhand rebels are spreading rumours about the Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line as well.”
“Uttarakhand has completed 20 years of its formation. In these years, you have also seen such people running the government who used to say -'you may loot Uttarakhand but save my government'. These people looted Uttarakhand with both hands,” he further said.
"It has been a permanent trademark of those who were in the government before, to hinder developmental projects. The Lakhwar Project, which started today, has the same history. It was first thought of in 1976. Today, after 46 years, our government has laid the foundation stone for its work," PM Modi said.
He said better mobile connectivity, hospitals and other facilities will boost tourism in Uttarakhand and will help the youth in the state.
“Along with connectivity, every aspect of national security was ignored earlier; made our army only wait, for ‘One Rank, One Pension’, modern weapons, bullet-proof jackets and even to give a strong answer to terrorists. They (previous govts) always insulted our Army.”
“No previous govt has spent as much money on Uttarakhand projects as this double-engine government. Previous government neglected this region. Kumaon has provided brave soldiers to the country. Previous governments insulted brave soldiers from the Kumaon regiment,” PM Modi stated.